This present invention improves upon several aspects of utility enclosures that provide a barrier for insects, weather and other environment conditions or any application for utility barrier enclosures, including their framework or supporting mechanism.
Typical portable enclosures of the art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,236,543, 6,672,323, and 7,821,863. Although these tent structures utilize a flexible support system, they are different from the current invention, in that the flexible supports are either attached to the exterior peripheral portions, they are permanently affixed to the tent, or they are not freestanding and adjustable loop configurations.
The Moss patent ('543) is a portable tent, comprising a flexible covering held tense to provide the shape of the shelter by two resiliently flexible pole members held in a flexed condition by peripheral portions of said side walls, each said pole member having the end portions thereof held respectively by front and rear peripheral portions of the same side wall to hold the pole member in an inverted generally U-shape, tensing said side walls horizontally and the central portion thereof held by the upper peripheral portion of the other side wall to hold the pole member in a bowed shape.
The Gupta patent ('323) is a lightweight, self-erecting bednet structure having integral self-supporting resilient lower and upper loops which provide it with shape and support. Fabric is permanently affixed to the support loops. This bednet is a fixed size and shape, intended for use by a single occupant lying down as a barrier to insects; it is not ideal for use in any other configuration or application.
The Ways patent ('863) is a portable and lightweight, self-supporting, high-profile, net enclosure comprised of a fabric membrane that defines an interior rectangular space having opposing side walls and opposing end walls, a floor and ceiling; a fabric pouch; two resiliently flexible segmented poles having two angles each that separate three straight pole sections into one horizontal section and two vertical sections with domed end tips; durable fabric reinforcing patches in lower inside corners of said interior rectangular space; said net enclosure maintains a stable shape when said fabric membrane is pushed out by said poles that are contained within said interior rectangular space and caused to bend in a flexed condition by said fabric membrane that biases said poles in place when said poles domed end tips are positioned in a freestanding manner on said durable fabric reinforcing patches in opposing lower inside corners of said interior rectangular space, with said vertical pole sections crossing diagonally at said end walls, and said horizontal pole section of said poles positioned parallel to each other along top of said opposing side walls at said ceiling with said two angles of each said pole positioned in a freestanding manner in upper inside corners of said interior rectangular space. This bednet is a fixed size and shape, intended for use by a single occupant lying down as a barrier to insects; the poles do not form closed loops and are not adjustable; it is not ideal for any other configuration.
Citrus Greening (Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus) is one of the most serious citrus plant diseases in the world. It is also known as Huanglongbing (HLB) or yellow dragon disease. Citrus greening is spread by a disease-infected insect, the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama or ACP). Infected trees produce fruits that are green, misshapen and bitter, unsuitable as fresh fruit or for juice. Most infected trees die within a few years.
A key component to a management program for Huanglongbing (HLB), “citrus greening disease” is aggressive control of Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). Tamarixia radiata Waterston (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a species specific ectoparasitoid of the ACP was imported from Pakistan and permitted by the USDA Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Permitting Unit for field release in Texas. Mass production methods continue to be refined and enhanced by the USDA's Mission Laboratory.
These methods involve covering live mature citrus trees, infested with ACP, inside field cages and introducing Tamarixia radiata into these enclosures that contain an abundant food supply, enabling them to multiply over 2-3 generations and then be released into the surrounding environment. The field cage approach being used in Texas is a novel approach that yields 12K parasitoids per cage. An improved insectary field cage could help augment those numbers.
This invention improves upon the field cages that are used in the mass production methodology, by accommodating various tree sizes, enabling more light into the enclosures, requiring fewer and lighter structural components, being durable, self-supporting, scalable and containing all components in an attached pouch for ease of transport and deployment.
This invention improves upon recreational and vendor canopies being durable against high winds, having side walls that provide a barrier to insects and solar shading, self-supporting, scalable, and containing all components in an attached pouch for ease of transport.
There is an increasing need for improved humanitarian relief shelters that provide durable protection from insects, weather and extreme environment conditions, to increase the level of comfort for displaced people living in family tents for prolong duration.
At present, the available humanitarian shelters are typically one of the follow: a rigid hard shell box shape, dome shape, barrel-vault shape, rectangular shape with vertical walls and gable roof, or free-formed pieced together from available loose wood structural supports and covered with tarps or plastic.
Each of the above mentioned current forms of shelter have limitations that make them inadequate to address the growing demand worldwide for more durable humanitarian relief shelters that are modular, compact, and adaptable, designed with architectural considerations in mind for occupant health and welfare, and improve the human factor conditions, including sustained comfort for prolonged occupancy.
Ridged hard shell structures are heavy, difficult to maneuver and expensive to transport due to their static shape, making it impractical to reach remote areas.
Dome shape tents have bowed poles connected through sleeves on the exterior of the flexible membrane with the pole ends placed in outside corner sockets to maintain its shape.
The dome shape creates low confining headroom along the walls that prevent occupants from standing upright and are generally intended for temporary use while camping.
Dome shape tents are designed to stand alone, and not suitable for grouping several together under a single cover to make one larger combined shelter.
Dome tents require guy wires for additional strength against high winds that extend several feet beyond the perimeter of the tent and anchor to the ground, taking-up additional surface area around the tent.
Barrel-vault tents have lower head height along the walls that limit the floor area for standing room, with wall panels comprised of separate membranes draped loosely over the rigid structural frame made from heavy arched-shape poles.
Rectangular shaped structures with vertical walls and gable roof require heavy poles and guy wires for additional strength against high winds that extend several feet beyond the perimeter of the tent to anchor to the ground, taking-up additional surface area around the tent.
Free-formed enclosures pieced together from available loose wood and make-shift structural supports, covered with tarps or plastic is a desperate attempt to address this dire need.
There is a desperate need for compact and portable humanitarian shelters that address the human factors habitability requirements to provide comfort for prolong use, made from durable, light-weight materials at are adaptable to various environmental conditions, scalable, using standardized modular structural components to construct multi-purpose enclosures.
Citation or identification of any reference in Section 2, or in any other section of this application, shall not be considered an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present invention.